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Montreal,

Old Montréal, which was once enclosed by thick stone walls, is the oldest part of the city. It runs roughly from the waterfront in the south to ruelle des Fortifications in the north and from rue McGill in the west to rue Berri in the east. The churches and chapels here stand as testament to the religious fervor that inspired the French settlers who landed here in 1642 to build a "Christian commonwealth" under the leadership of Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, and the indomitable Jeanne Mance. Stone warehouses and residences are reminders of how quickly the fur trade commercialized that lofty ideal and made the city one of the most prosperous in 18th-century Nouvelle France. And finally, the financial houses along rue St-Jacques, bristling with Victorian ornamentation, recall the days when Montrealers controlled virtually all the wealth of the young Dominion of Canada. History and good looks aside, however, Old Montréal still works for a living. Stockbrokers and shipping companies continue to operate out of the old financial district. The city's largest newspaper, La Presse, has its offices here. Lawyers in black gowns hurry through the streets to plead cases at the Palais de Justice or the Cour d'Appel, the City Council meets in the Second Empire City Hall on rue Notre-Dame, and local shoppers hunt for deals in the bargain clothing stores just off rue McGill.

Sights

Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal

Few churches in North America are as
wow-inducing as Notre-Dame. Everything about the place, which opened in 1829,
seems designed to make you gasp—from the 228-foot twin towers out front to the
tens of thousands of 24-karat gold stars that stud the soaring blue
ceiling. Nothing in a city renowned for churches matches Notre-Dame for sheer
grandeur—or noisemaking capacity: its 12-ton bass bell is the largest in North
America, and its 7,000-pipe Casavant organ can make the walls tremble. The
pulpit is a work of art in itself, with an intricately curving staircase and
fierce figures of Ezekiel and Jeremiah crouching at its base. The whole place is
so overwhelming it's easy to miss such lesser features as the stained-glass
windows from Limoges and the side altars dedicated to St. Marguerite d'Youville,
Canada's first native-born saint; St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Canada's first
schoolteacher; and a group of Sulpician priests martyred in Paris during the
French Revolution.[]For a peek at the magnificent baptistery, decorated with
frescoes by Ozias Leduc, you'll have to tiptoe through the glassed-off prayer
room in the northwest corner of the church. Every year dozens of brides march up
the aisle of Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur (Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart Chapel), behind the main altar, to exchange vows with their grooms before
a huge modern bronze sculpture that you either love or hate.[]Notre-Dame is an
active house of worship, so dress accordingly (i.e., no shorts or bare
midriffs). The chapel can't be viewed weekdays during the 12:15 pm mass, and is
often closed Saturday for weddings.

Musée d'Archéologie et d'Histoire Pointe-à-Callière

The modern glass
building is impressive, and the audiovisual show is a breezy romp through
Montréal's history from the Ice Age to the present, but the real reason to visit
the city's most ambitious archaeological museum is to take the elevator ride
down to the 17th century.[]It's dark down there, and just a little creepy thanks
to the 350-year-old tombstones teetering in the gloom, but it's worth the trip.
This is a serious archaeological dig that takes you to the very foundations of
the city. You begin on the banks of the long-vanished Rivière St-Pierre, where
the first settlers built their homes and traded with the First Nations
inhabitants. From there you climb up toward the present, past the stone
foundations of an 18th-century tavern and a 19th-century insurance building.
Along the way, filmed figures representing past inhabitants appear on ghostly
screens to chat to you about their life and times. A more lighthearted exhibit
explores life and love in multicultural Montréal. For a spectacular view of the
Old Port, the St. Lawrence River, and the Islands, ride the elevator to the top
of the tower, or stop for lunch in the museum's glass-fronted café. In summer
there are re-creations of period fairs and festivals on the grounds near the
museum.[]By 2017, in time for Montreal's 375th anniversary, a major expansion of
the museum, including new exhibits, will have been completed.

Place Jacques-Cartier

The cobbled square at the heart of Old Montréal is
part carnival, part flower market, and part sheer fun. You can pause here to
have your portrait painted or to buy an ice cream or to watch the street
performers. If you have more time, try to get a table at one of the sidewalk
cafés, order a beer or a glass of wine, and watch the passing parade. The 1809
monument honoring Lord Nelson's victory over Napoléon Bonaparte's French navy at
Trafalgar angers some modern-day Québec nationalists. The campaign to raise
money for it was led by the Sulpician priests, who were engaged in delicate land
negotiations with the British government at the time and were eager to show what
good subjects they were.

Old Port

Montréal's favorite waterfront park is your ideal gateway to
the St. Lawrence River. Rent a pedal boat, take a ferry to Île
Ste-Hélène, sign up for a dinner cruise, or, if you're really adventurous,
ride a raft or a jet boat through the turbulent Lachine Rapids. If you're
determined to stay ashore, however, there's still plenty to do, including street
performances, sound-and-light shows, art displays, and exhibitions. Visiting
warships from the Canadian navy and other countries often dock here and open
their decks to the public. You can rent a bicycle or a pair of in-line skates at
one of the shops along rue de la Commune and explore the waterfront at your
leisure. If it's raining, the Centre des Sciences de Montréal on King Edward
Pier will keep you dry and entertained, and if your lungs are in good shape
you can climb the 192 steps to the top of the Clock Tower for a good view
of the waterfront and the Islands; it was erected at the eastern end of the
waterfront in memory of merchant mariners killed during World War I. You can,
quite literally, lose the kids in Shed 16's Labyrinthe, a maze of alleys,
surprises, and obstacles built inside an old waterfront warehouse. Every couple
of years or so the Cirque du Soleil comes home to pitch its
blue-and-yellow tent in the Old Port. But be warned: when the circus is in town,
the tickets sell faster than water in a drought.

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

Mariners have been popping into
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours for centuries to kneel before a little 17th-century
statue of the Virgin Mary and pray for a safe passage—or give thanks for one.
Often, they've expressed their gratitude by leaving votive lamps in the shape of
small ships, many of which still hang from the barrel-vaulted ceiling. This is
why most Montrealers call the chapel the Église des Matelots (the Sailors'
Church), and why many people still stop by to say a prayer and light a candle
before leaving on a long trip.[]These days, the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help guards the remains of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, who had the original chapel
built in 1657 and is entombed in the side altar next to the east wall of the
chapel. The current chapel dates from 1771; a renovation project in 1998
revealed some beautiful 18th-century murals that had been hidden under layers of
paint.[]The steep climb to the top of the steeple is worth the effort for the
glorious view of the harbor, as is the equally steep climb down to the
archaeological excavations under the chapel for a glimpse into the history of
the chapel and the neighborhood. The dig is accessible through the adjacent
Musée Marguerite Bourgeoys, which also has exhibits on the life of St.
Marguerite and the daily lives of the colonists she served. The chapel is closed
mid-January through February except for the 10:30 am mass on Sunday.

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